1989 - Round-table talks between Solidarity, the Communists and the Catholic Church ahead of partially free elections

2004 - Poland joins the EU

But when World War II broke out the family was torn apart again.

Jozef had become intensively involved in the underground movement but had to escape to the former Yugoslavia after he was seriously injured. However, he continued resistance and was known as Captain Nash by the British Special Operations Executive (SOE).

Later killed by a German grenade in Montenegro, he was buried in a British war cemetery in Belgrade.

Anna's father Otto was trained in anti-aircraft artillery but, after defending the air force at Malaszewicze in September 1939, he was trapped between the Russian and German invasions of Poland.

She said: "He escaped to Romania where he was interned but then escaped to France."

Otto was stationed in various places including Scotland and fought in France, Belgium and Holland during the rest of the war.

Meanwhile, his brother Ludwik followed in his eldest brother's footsteps and joined the underground movement.

When the war ended Otto realised that he couldn't return home.

"He was in exile and couldn't go back, especially during the Stalinist era," said Anna.

"He studied art in Liverpool and then taught at Monmouth School where he was head of art."

Ludwik, who remained in Poland, faced a new threat - hundreds of thousands of Poles were still being deported to Siberia after the war.

As he had fought in the underground army and saved the lives of a group of American pilots he was blacklisted by the Communist state.

"[However] he hid in the forest and disappeared for quite a while before reappearing to study art in Krakow," Anna said.

"His war sketches, which were the basis for many paintings later on, were the only visual documentation of the forest based underground units, because the communist regime tried to erase this aspect of history.

"Ludwik protested furiously when even the titles of his purely landscape paintings were changed to suit communist propaganda and he was arrested several times."

He eventually became Dean of the Warsaw Academy of Art.

Anna, who still lives in Monmouth, has carried on the family's artistic legacy.

She was responsible for organising various Chopin bicentenary concerts in Bristol and Hereford and also makes ceramic art.

'Just wonderful'

Image caption
Anna, who still lives in Monmouth, has carried on the family's artistic legacy

To commemorate Polish Independence Day all three artists' ceramics and paintings are being displayed in Hereford Museum and Art Gallery.

The location is especially appropriate because Otto and Anna were both members of the Herefordshire Art and Craft Society and for many years exhibited work in the same building.

Otto died in 2000 and Ludwik in 2007 but a new generation of Polish expatriates in Herefordshire can now explore their paintings and ceramics.

"It's just wonderful," said Anna. "I think they'd both be quite pleased."

The artwork and story of the Maciag family will be on display until 7 January 2012.